Aftermath
by OctoberGirl82
Summary: Just a little one-shot borne out of the ending of "Foreign Affairs" that was finished before I ever saw the "In Sickness" previews.


**Author's note**: This was written before I saw any of the previews for "In Sickness", so suspend that reality for the few minutes it will take to read this. :-)

**Disclaimer**: The characters aren't mine; I just borrowed them for a little playtime.

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><p>Her eyes were gritty and unfocused as she headed for her office. It had been less than forty-eight hours since she learned of the "indiscretion" between Peter and Kalinda, but it felt much longer. She hadn't slept since Wiley dropped the bombshell on her, hadn't come to work yesterday, hadn't spoken to anyone other than the terse text she sent Peter telling him not to expect her home. Of course, Peter and Eli had both been calling her frantically, Eli worrying about her disappearing act, Peter likely suspecting that she'd learned another of his carefully hidden secrets. Between plans made prior to the election and a message Grace had left on her cell, Alicia knew the kids were safely ensconced with Jackie and oblivious to her personal turmoil. At least she didn't have to worry about them.<p>

Grateful that no one had approached her, she firmly closed her door and sank into her desk chair. From the looks of the office, no one knew about Peter's newest scandal – Wiley mustn't have leaked it to the press yet. With a soft sigh, she kicked her overnight bag under the desk and tried to concentrate on the work in front of her.

Unfortunately, the relentless phones would not stop ringing. She answered everything work related, ignored Peter and Eli, and used voice mail to screen everything else. By noon, she was exhausted. As she carried some files up to Julius's office, her shaking hands lost their grip and papers fell to the floor.

"Alicia?" Will bent down beside her to gather the unruly files. "Is something wrong?" He didn't need to ask – he knew her well enough to know that the ghost-white face, dark-rimmed eyes, and unsteady hands signaled that something was _very_ wrong with Alicia. When he saw the tell-tale sheen of tears in her eyes, tears that she was valiantly holding back, he shoved the papers into a stack and asked his assistant to return them to Julius. Once she had gone, he gently pulled Alicia into his office and shut the door.

Alicia, clinging to the final shreds of her composure, straightened her back and remained facing away from Will. She quietly took a deep breath. "Sorry. I must be clumsy today." She couldn't believe her voice sounded almost normal. "I should get back to work." Willing herself to pretend everything was okay, she turned to leave.

However, Kalinda happened to pass by at just that moment, deep in conversation with one of the equity partners. She didn't see Alicia through the glass of Will's office door, but Alicia certainly didn't miss her. Alicia froze, her hand still poised to turn the doorknob, and her whole body began to shake.

Will had never seen such abject anger displayed towards someone Alicia considered a friend. Gently, he took Alicia's elbow, turned her from the door, and nudged her onto the couch. "Tell me what's really going on."

The shaking hands clenched in her lap as she tried to reign her emotions back in. Her measured breathing, as she reached for her control, was the only sound in the room as Will sat silently beside her.

Eventually, the whole story tumbled out. Shock, anger, and compassion crossed Will's face in turns as he listened, and by the time she had finished, they somehow found their hands entangled between them on the sofa. Will, after glancing down at their joined hands, gave Alicia's fingers a quick squeeze and attempted to draw back. To the surprise of both adults, she squeezed back, refusing to let go.

Before either of them could find words to address their situation, there was a quick tap at the door. Without waiting for a response, Kalinda pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Alicia stiffened and pulled her hands back, once again clenching them into fists. Will noticed Kalinda froze, uncharacteristically, when she saw Alicia's posture and shuttered face, and he jumped in to prevent any scenes. His curt, "I'll talk to you later, Kalinda," was a clear dismissal, and the P.I. left the room. Alicia visibly relaxed, although barely, once she was gone.

"Thanks."

Will watched her for a moment, noticed how she slumped back against the couch and how her whole being radiated exhaustion.

"Come one. Let's get out of here."

Startled, Alicia looked up. "What?"

"Let's go. You're exhausted and, because I can tell you aren't taking proper care of yourself, I'm going to make sure you do." She rose to her feet, touched by his concern and grateful for his offer, but about to refuse when he continued, "I assume you don't want to go home so we'll go to my place." His tone left no room for argument and Alicia found herself following him to the elevators.

Alicia's thoughts were a million miles away from Will's car as they drove through the streets of Chicago. Will didn't disturb her. She had always been the kind to internalize her problems until they became too much; Will was just waiting for her to need either a listening ear or a voice of reason.

Inside, she still didn't speak but Will could tell she was taking in her surroundings. Compared to her place, Will's home was stark, bare, but she still felt safe there. She couldn't even consider going back to her apartment, which had once been her haven but was now just a reminder of Peter's betrayals.

"Why don't you get some rest?" Will pointed down the hall toward the bedroom. "I'll make sure there's something for you to eat when you wake up." A tired smile was all she could offer before making her way to the bedroom.

His room. Somehow, she hadn't expected him to send her to his room, but his place wasn't that big – it was probably the _only_ bedroom. Dismissing thoughts of Will and his bedroom, she kicked off her shoes and sat on the bed.

Will appeared in the doorway. "I brought you a blanket." His lopsided smile as he tossed her the soft throw nearly elicited a smile from her in return. "Sleep well, Alicia."

She wrapped herself in the blanket and settled her head on one of Will's pillows, expecting to fall asleep instantly. Instead, she was plagued with racy thoughts of herself and her boss, images that carried over into her subconscious once she fell asleep.

Some time later, she awoke to the sound of someone at the door. "Alicia, did you need something? I heard you call for me." When she saw Will in the doorway, her face reddened as she realized she must have called his name in her sleep. Before she could find the right words to say, a particularly tantalizing dream replayed in front of her eyes and she beckoned him over to the bed…

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><p>Alicia sat straight up, breathless and looking around a room she didn't recognize. Suddenly, she remembered – she was in a hotel room, avoiding her cheating husband. As her heart slowed and her breathing evened out, she lay back down on the rented bed and wished the dream had been real.<p> 


End file.
